Lens-grinding machine



L. G. SIMPSON.

LENS GRNDING MACHINE. MPL10/T1011 F1LED.f1-:B.1.1s19.

Patented r1111111 14, 192.1.

EOM @52W/1,5072

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEON Gr. SIMPSON, 0F ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO BAUSCHOI, LOMB l OPTICAL COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 0F NEW f YORK.

:To all whom t may concern.'

Rochester, in the county of Monroe, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lens-Grinding Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying'drawings, forming a art of this specification, and to the referencenumerals marked thereon.

One object of my invention is to embody in a single integral unit that part of a lens grinding machine comprising a grinding lap spindle and its driving and control mechanism. Another object of my invention is to provide a simple, compact and inexpensive frame for lens grinding machines in which suitable bearings are provided for both the driving shaft and the shaft for the grindinglap Or shell. `Still another object of my invention is to provide a simple bearing support for the driving shaft of a lens grinding machine by which several machines can be conveniently connected to be driven in unison.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective` view of a lens grinding machine unit constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a pair of lens grinding machines involving two of the lens grinding machine units illustrated in F ig. 1 coupled Atogether to provide a gang of lens grindingmachines adapted for individual or simultaneous operation.

My prescription lens grinding machine comprises an abrading or grinding mechanisin, driving mechanism therefor and mechanism for controlling the speed of and stopping -the grinding mechanism. I have provided a single frame, indicated generally by 1, in which these devices are mounted. The frame 1 is secured to the under side of a work bench or table 2 by any suitable means, preferably by bolts passing through the flange 3 into the table. A horizontally disposed driving or countershaft 4 is journaled in a pair of alined bearing bosses 5 and 6 which are formed respectively on the extremities of the arms 1a and 1b of the frame 1. A driving pulley 6a is fixed to one end of the shaft adjacent the bearing boss 5,

LENS-GRINDING MACHINE. n

speeincarion of Lettersratent. y Patented June 14, 1921, Application led February 1, 1919.' Serial'No. 274,515'.

and a thrust collar 7 fixed to the shaftiadjacent the Opposite side of sai'dboss, prevents longitudinal movement of the shaft. A driving wheel 8 is mounted on the countershaft to rotate therewith but also to have axial movement thereon, by means of a feather l() engaging a groove 11 in the shaft. A spindle 12 having an abrading shell or lap 13 is mounted at substantially right angles to the shaft 4 in a pairofr alined journals 14 and 15. The journal 14 is formed on the arm 16 provided therefor on the frame arm 1aL and the journal 15 is formed integral with the flange 3 by which the frame y1 is secured to the table 2 and extends upwardly through the table. Keyed or Otherwise Secured to the spindle 12, is a face friction wheel 18,' the under face of which is adapt'- ed to engage they periphery of the driving wheel 8. In order to make the frictional engagement of the wheel 18 with the periphery of the wheel 8 more positive, the wheel 8 may be provided with a frictional surface 9 of felt, leather or the like. Copera-ting with the abrading shell or lap 13 is a carrier 19 for a lens blank supported on a lever 2O pivotally supported in the upper end of a post 21 mounted on on the table 2.

Means are provided for moving the wheel 8 along the shaft 4 radially of the wheel 18 to vary the speed at which the shaft12 is driven. To this end, the hub 23 of the wheel 8 is provided with a circumferential groove or slot 24 with which cooperates a yoke or 'fork 25 pivoted tothe end of the link 26, which in turn is pivoted to the end of an arm 27, having a hub 28v secured to the end` of a shaft or spindle 28a. To the upper end of the shaft 28, which is supported by its bearing in a boss 29 that is provided therefor on the arm 1b of the frame 1, and that extends upwardly through the table 2, is secured the crank or arm 30 having the knob 31 whereby the shaft 28a and its associated mechanism is manually manipulated. The construction is such that the movement of the crank 30 moves the driving wheel 8 along its shaft 4 radially of the driven face wheel 18, in order that said ydriven wheel will be rotated at a higher speed when engaged near its center by the driving wheel its periphery by said driving wheel.

a bracket 22 supported vbring the driving wheel 8 to the periphery of the driven wheel 18 and the brake mem- `ber 32 is brought into engagement therewith as shown in the left of Fig. 2: the working face 34 of the brake member whichv normally `assumes a slightly inclined position las shown in Fig. 1, passes under the outer edge of the wheel 18 and wedges it, together with the spindle 12 and parts carried thereby, out of contact with the driving wheel 8; the member 32 simultaneously assuming a substantially horizontal position as the heel of the member 34 is brought into contact with the periphery of the wheel 18. During the `process. of disengaging the driven wheel 18 from the driving wheel 8, the friction between the bra-ke member 32 and the wheel 18 quickly checks the rotation thereof together with its associated parts Vand brings it to a stop.

lt will be noted that the frame 1 is simple and strong in design and that it affords bearings for the countershaft and for the grinding spindle 12 at substantially right angles to each other, and also a bearingsupport for the devices which control the speed of and stop the grinding shell. When it is desired, as frequently happens, to set up a plurality `of machines in gangs or series as shown in the drawings, they are secured to the ben-ch 2 with the ends of their countershafts 4 in alinement. The pulleysa are removed from all but the first machine and the ends of the shafts connected by means of an Oldham coupling 40 as shown.

Having described my invention, what I n lshaft above said horizontal shaft journaled in the supporting flange and the 'vertical .bearing boss, a driven wheelfiXed to said vertical shaft between said flange and vertical bearingfboss and adapted to coperate with said driving wheel, one of said wheels being slidably fixed to its shaft, and means supported by one of said arms for adjusting said slidablei wheel to vary the speed of the vertical shaft.

2. A supporting frame and power transmission mechanism for a grinding machine comprising in combination a supporting flange at the top of the frame adapted to be attached beneath a table, arms inclined outwardly and downwardly from said vfiange, horizontal bearing bosses in the lower ends of said arms, a driving shaft journaled in said bearing bosses, a driving wheel fixed on said shaft between the latter, a vertical bearing boss above said shaft, a projection on one of said arms supporting said vertical bearing boss, a vertical shaft journaled in said flange and said vertical bearing boss, a driven wheel fixed on said vertical shaft between the flange and verticalbearing Vboss and adapted to cooperate with the driving wheel, one of said wheels being slidableon its shaft, and a coupling device on said driving shaft outside of the horizontal bearing boss but adjacent thereto whereby a plurality of individual frames may be alined adj acent each other. i

LEON` Gr. SIMPSON. 

